The Fox and The Wolf
by The-Ruffian
Summary: Welcome to the Apocalypse. Emma's been separated from her wife, Regina, and her son, Henry after the world has fallen apart. She's been traveling for a year to get back home, hoping to find her wife and son. Instead she finds an abandoned town and no Regina, but meets a rather strange woman.
1. Chapter 1 - Storybrooke Undead

The world has always been a dark place. Murder. War. Famine. Death. The world was so dark. But now it's hell. You've still got all of these, don't get me wrong, but you can add one more thing to that list. Undead. Compliments of America's insatiable desire to explore and play with things that should never be played with, a super virus was created. Well, it wasn't called that. Scientists gave it the dignified name of RS-19.

It spread quickly, consumed all major cities within the United States in two months. The US officially fell three months after RS-19 got out. Canada fell shortly after. Mexico before that. The rest of the world, well, no one really knows for sure. Some believe Europe , Asia, Africa, and Australia are still in one piece and will eventually come to the rescue. Most have given up that hope.

Emma Swan had given up on that hope. She sat slumped over on her horse as he paded through the forest. In tow behind them was a tall draft horse, who was carrying several weapons, ammunition, and a few necessities. The three walked through the forest in complete silent. It's damp and humid after the recent rain fall. Everything is lush and green, oblivious to the carnage in the cities and towns.

They walked for another few minutes before coming upon a road and she brought the horses to a halt. The road hadn't been touched in at least a year. It's cracked and crumbling from the long winter. An old drainage ditch ran along both sides of the road. Leaves cover both the road and the ditches and a few trees were trying to make their way up through the cracks in the blacktop.

"Almost there," she whispered before giving the horse a quick tap with her heels. He jumped the small drainage ditch and began trotting down the road. The draft wasn't far behind and matched their speed. The click clack of their hooves reverberated off the trees and deep into the forest. Emma bit her lip and looked about the forest for any signs of movement. Satisfied nothing was there, she turned her attention back to the road.

"Hard to believe it's been a year since I've been here," she told the horse, "I hope she's here."

The buckskin glanced back at her and gave her a hopeful whinny.

She patted his neck, "Once we get there, we can rest for a long time. There'll be lots of hay and grain for you and you can play with all the other horses."

Both horses brightened up at the mention of food. The draft picked up speed. She made the buckskin look like a midget as she trotted up beside them and settled into a steady rhythm next to them.

A large wooden sign was positioned just off the side of the road in front of them. It had once read: _Welcome to Storybrooke_, but now it had spray paint across it that read: _Turn around, dead here._ She stared at the sign as they passed it. On the back the words _good luck_ had been painted in loopy cursive.

It seemed as if hours had passed by the time they could see the town. Emma pulled the horses to a stop on the main street, just before the first buildings. At least five zombies were sliding their way to her and the horses. She recognized a few of them. The others were unfamiliar and looked as if they had been put through a grinder.

"Great." She growled as she took out a machete, "I was hoping you all would be gone by now." She dismounted the horse and approached the first zombie. He had been one of the town's people. She remembered seeing him at Granny's Diner the day before she left. He had smiled at her and told her to drive safely, but she couldn't remember his name.

He reached for her and groaned.

Emma let out a soft sigh, "Rest in peace." One swing of the knife was all it took. His head rolled on the ground a couple feet before she stuck the machete deep into the back of his head, ending all motor function and any resemblance of life. She did the same to the five others.

The horses followed her down the street as she led them through the town. There was no living people. She saw a few zombies. No one she knew personally. They were all just citizens to her. People she had passed in town. People she was supposed to protect. But there was no protection from this kind of chaos.

They walked quite a while before coming upon a mansion. Emma stared at the closed door. "Regina," she whispered, before taking slow steps to the door. The horses went off into the un-manicured lawn and started snacking on the weeds and grasses. She hesitated as she came up the steps to the large door. Her eyes shut and she dreaded the moment she opened the door to nothing. Thick layers of dust covered everything.

Her eyes glided over all the photos, one or two of them were missing, having been taken, she presumed, by Regina and the rest of her family. Then her eyes fell upon a particular photo. It was nothing special, probably the reason why it had been left. It was a photo of Regina and Henry out at the barns with Henry's horse. Regina looked so proud of their son. But it wasn't the photo that had caught her eye. It was the lack of dust where gentle fingers had run across it. It was fresh. Someone was here, or at least had been here recently.

"Don't move." A voice grumbled from behind her.

Emma turned to see a dirty blonde woman standing in the doorway to the living room. She was a little shorter than her and looked very thin, even behind the thick clothing she wore. The woman was no one she recognized, but the handgun she did recognize. It was a Colt Special Combat Government that had been modified with a scope and an LED weapon light. The kind of gun a professional would carry.

"Who are you?" the woman snarled.

"Emma." She looked the woman over, noticing blood on her hands and arms, "I mean no harm. I'm just looking for someone."

"Well, they aren't here. There's no living humans in this town, hasn't been for some time."

Emma continued to look the woman over.

"Stop sizing me up! I swear to god I'll shoot you."

"I don't doubt it." Emma hesitated, "Where's that blood from?"

"None of your business."

"Okay, easy. If you're hurt, I know where a first aid kit is…were it should be anyway. I can help."

The woman narrowed her eyes.

"I mean no harm. This was my house-"

"I know. I recognize you from the photos."

"I don't care that you're here. You can stay for all I care. I'm just looking for my wife and son."

At that the woman softened, she lowered the gun slowly and stared at Emma for a long moment before clearing her throat, "Sorry, can't be too careful."

"Where's the blood from?"

"Moose. Shot it this morning."

"What's your name?"

"Fox."


	2. Chapter 2 - The Fox's Moose

**Hello, Thank you for reading. Hope you all like it so far. I love reading reviews, so please leave a review! Thanks again!**

* * *

As soon as Fox put her gun away, Emma began picking the other woman's brain for information. "Do you know what happened to everyone?" she asked as she followed Fox through the house.

Fox laughed, "Haven't you seen the zombies?"

"Yes, that's not what I meant. Everyone else. Do you know where they went?"

"No fucking clue." She walked out to the backyard. Emma froze at the door way, staring at the bloody mess in her backyard.

When Fox had said she had shot a moose, Emma was expecting to find a moose carcass lying out on the back lawn, perhaps cut open and a bit bloody. What she was not expecting to see was a body strung up and hanging from a tree. It had already been skinned, revealing the animal's muscles, fat, organs, and a few bones. The head had been cut off and was lying off to the side. The moose's skin had been hung, flesh side facing them, from a rope that had been strung up from the tree to the house.

She also didn't expect to see a large German Shepherd standing in her backyard. Regina had never been a fan of dogs, specifically large dogs. She believed them to be dangerous and unpredictable animals.

The dog standing in the yard only seemed to aid in her wife's argument. He had a death glare on Emma and as she approached he stood. His head lowered as he studied her movements. Emma was certain that if she had ill intentions, the dog would have leapt and pinned her to the ground.

"She's okay." Fox said to the dog as she grabbed his ear and gently stroked his head.

Emma looked beyond the moose to Regina's apple tree, where her two horses were happily munching at some of the fallen fruit.

Fox followed her gaze and smiled. "The horses came from round from the front, that's how I knew you were here." She stood in front of the hanging moose and stared at it for a long time before shaking her head, "I can't do this by myself. If ya' give me a hand smoking the meat, you're welcome to half of it."

"Sure, yeah, what can I do?"

Fox looked up at her for a long moment. She was trying to decide which of two evils to deal with. Send her away with the possibility she'd never return? Or give Emma a knife and trust her to cut up the moose and not gut her. Fox's gaze went from the moose to Emma, "We need charcoal."

Emma nodded, "I'll see what I can find." She climbed onto the buckskin and rode off. The draft horse followed after.

Fox watched them trot away and shook her head. "She won't be back. How much you wanna bet?" She asked the shepherd. He let out a high pitched bark and settled next to her as she began cutting into the meat.

It had been two weeks since Emma had seen another living person. Many of the people she had run into on the road were hostile and unwilling to trust anyone. Others were skittish and ran at the sight of another person. She had run into a few people who she had travelled with for some time before parting ways with them. They had been friendly after realize that she wasn't going to steal from them or kill them in their sleep.

Fox seemed to be like of the friendly variety, but Emma was unsure if she could trust the woman. The way she had strung up an animal twenty times her own size was a little unsettling. The promise of food, particularly preserved meat, was the only reason she was helping the woman and not picking her brain for information and going on her way.

She managed to find two bags of charcoal and secured them to the draft horse before heading back home. Fox had a good portion of meat laid out on a large cutting board that Emma recognized as being from her kitchen.

* * *

It took the two of them two hours to get the meat cut and marinated, and the large smoker up to the right temperature. Fox was staking down moose's hide, preparing to scrape the rest of the flesh off, as Emma sat on the stairs to the porch.

She watched the dirty blonde carefully as she de-fleshed the skin. "What's your story?"

"Does it matter?" Fox growled as she continued scrapping.

"Yeah, we've all got a story."

Fox nodded, "You tell me your story. I'll tell you mine."

Emma smirked, "Alright. I was a cop here. Sheriff for a few years. My wife was the major."

"Why weren't you here with them when the world ended?"

Emma looked down at her feet, "I was given the chance to meet my birth parents."

Fox paused, looking over at the blonde.

"Regina, my wife, wanted to come but…" Emma sighed, "…it's was so stupid."

Fox had gone back to scraping the skin. She figured Emma wouldn't continue and was surprised as the blonde began talking again.

"We had gotten into a fight. I went by myself." Emma shook her head at herself, "What about you? How'd you end up just you and the dog?"

"The dog's name is Simon."

"Simon?" She looked over at him as he lay stretched out between them. "So, what's the Fox and Simon story?"

"I'm a taxidermist. He's a police dog. Not much to tell."

"Police dog? How did you end up with a police dog?"

Fox paused and shook her head.

"Come on. I told my story, now it's your turn."

She huffed, "Fine. My girlfriend was a police officer. Simon was her police dog. When the virus hit the city she left him with me so I'd be safe. I got a knock on my door from one of her coworkers. He insisted I get out of town. That she'd meet me at this location they had set up." Fox shook her head, "There were other families and officers there. Everyone waiting." She scrapped a little harder at the skin, "I waited three days there before it was overrun with zombies."

"You don't know if she's dead or alive?"

"Nope. She's probably gone though. I doubt she made it out. Even if she did, she could be anywhere."

Emma nodded, watching the woman as she finished taking the flesh off the hide.

"So, your wife and son aren't here. Where you headed next?"

"I don't know." Emma shook her head, "I don't know."


	3. Chapter 3 - Hope?

Emma spent the night watching Fox sleep. It surprised her how easily the woman was able to fall asleep in front of a stranger. Then Simon had crawled onto the couch next to her. He watched Emma intently, protecting his charge. No wonder she was able to sleep. Her dog would have eaten Emma alive if he thought she was going to hurt her.

It was early in the morning by the time Emma had fallen asleep. It was unintentional and she awoke with a jolt several hours later. Fox was nowhere to be seen, but Simon was curled up on the couch watching her. Emma couldn't help but giggle at him. "If Regina was here, you'd be in big trouble."

He lifted his head up and blinked at her. The shepherd didn't seem as threatening as he had before. His eyes had softened and when she spoke to him his ears perked up and he tilted his head.

She got up, stretched, and made her way up to her bedroom. Simon followed. They walked in and Emma opened up her closet. A good portion of Regina's cloths were gone, as was a sweatshirt or two of Emma's. Simon sat in the doorway as she changed into jeans, a sweatshirt, and a jack.

Emma's next stop was Regina's office. Simon followed. She walked to the door, expecting it to be unlocked. The handle stuck. "Really?" She reached into her pocket and pulled out a set of keys, sliding an old skeleton key into the lock. The door opened with. Simon sat in the doorway as she drifted around the room. She sat at her wife's chair, leaning into it and closing her eyes.

When her eyes opened and she focused on the papers on Regina's desk. There was a map laid out over the wood with a post-it note and a walkie-talkie on it. She leaned forward and read the post-it aloud, "Emma, we could not stay any longer. We are heading south along the coast to Portland. We'll be waiting for you. Love, Regina." Portland was circled with the words: _channel number four, eight A.M., _written in cursive.

Emma lit up. Regina had left Storybrooke alive. She was still out there. She was still alive! Emma rolled the map up and took the walkie-talkie. She walked up to Simon and hesitated. He bounced backwards, allowing her to pass him into the hallway and followed her down stairs.

She stuffed the map and walkie-talkie into her saddle bag before making her way out to the porch. Emma grabbed a few pieces of jerky from the bag where they had piled it all and looked out into the yard as she chewed. What they couldn't use of the moose had been dragged out of the backyard. She guessed Fox had laid out for the zombies, feral dogs, or coyotes to munch on. There hadn't been much left. Fox had been able to salt cure some of the big pieces and wrapped them in paper.

Emma's two horses were munching on the grass by the apple tree, along side a mule she recognized form Storybrooke's barn. He was big and ugly with his long rounded nose and giant ears. He made a sickening sound that sounded like a dying whale whenever someone walked into the barn. She figured Fox had used one of the horses that had been left behind to drag the moose into the backyard, but she didn't expect that horse to be the mule.

Her eyes travelled from the mule to Fox as she sat in the middle of the yard. She was busy with the moose skin. She had dragged a twenty gallon plastic tub into the backyard and had filled it with a concoction of water, vinegar, and salt. Simon had taken up a position next to Fox as she stirred the mixture and dragged the pelt into the liquid.

"Isn't that a waste of water?" Emma called.

Fox looked back at her, "I'd rather stay warm in the winter."

Emma watched as Fox finished up with the skin and moved onto the moose's head. It had already begun to rot in the spring sun and smelled awful. It was a scent both women knew well. Both had seen their share of dead bodies. Most of them still moving about.

Fox started peeling the flesh off, revealing the moose's thick skull. Emma watched her as she worked for a few minutes before she said, "I found out where they are heading." Fox didn't look up from her work, but she gave her a small nod to show she was listening. "I found a map in Regina's office with a note. Portland was circled on the map."

Fox stopped. She looked up at Emma and shook her head, "Don't go there."

Emma tilted her head like a confused puppy, "Why?"

"I heard Portland fell a long time before it all hit us." Fox stared at her for a moment, "I met a few people who had come from that way. They said the city belonged to the dead." She blinked and went back to focusing on her skull, "If you wife was smart enough to stay on the outskirts of the city or in one of the surrounding towns or villages or even the forests...I bet there fine." Emma could tell Fox didn't believe her own words. False hope, that's all it was. Both women knew that. Both women had survived for some time off of false hopes. Although, Emma was beginning to think Fox had given up on hope.

"I was thinking I'd leave tomorrow."

Fox paused for a moment, "Would you mind if I came with you?"

"Could use the company." Emma gave her a soft smile.

"Why don't we wait then. A few days I mean. So you can get your strength back and we can gather supplies."

Emma nodded. She watched the dirty blonde work for another couple minutes. "So, your girlfriend? What's her name?"

Fox held the moose head level with her face, looking into the sockets where it's eyes once were. "Her name _was_ Gail." She put extra emphasis on the 'was.'

* * *

Regina sat on the hood of an old Honda, staring through a chain link fence at a few zombies as they stumbled about. There were cars lined up in rows waiting for their turn to be smashed. They were covered in rust and over grown weeds. None of them would ever move again, but the fence that guarded them provided a temporary sanctuary for the band of survivors that called the old dump home. Regina had despised the place when they had first come here, but it was beginning to feel more and more like home. There was just one thing missing, Emma.

Radio in hand. Regina looked down at the hands on her watch. It struck eight and she turned her attention to the walkie-talkie. "Are there any survivors out there? Over." She waited for a few minutes, holding the radio a few inches from her ear. "Are there any survivors in the Portland area? Over." Again she held the radio to her ear, listening for a respond.

A red head walked up beside the car. She was tall with a muscular build that was concealed behind a thick black jacket with the logo of a Canadian police department on the shoulder. Her foot steps were light enough that Regina didn't notice her until she had rounded the corner of the car. She leaned next to her against the car. "Anyone?"

Regina shook her head. She looked out the zombies again, "What if she's dead?"

"You can't afford to think that way."

She looked over at the red head, "But-"

"No. You have a son you have to take care of," the woman said, looking over at her, "She's out there somewhere and she'll find you."

"Is that what you tell yourself?" It came out a lot colder than she had meant it. "I'm sorry, Gail. That was rude."

Gail shrugged it off. "Emma and Fox are both out there, somewhere. From what you've told me of Emma, she's definitely out there. She'll find you. I just hope Fox hasn't given up. She's not the strongest." She leaned forward and rested her arms on her legs.

Regina put a hand on her friend's shoulder, "You said she's a hunter. She'll survive." She gave her a gentle squeeze. "We should go back to the camp." Regina turned the radio off and jumped off the hood of the Honda. Gail pushed off the car and followed her.


	4. Chapter 4 - The Fox's Wolf

Emma laid her head on Regina's chest, listening to her steady heartbeat. She could feel the brunette's hand weaving through her hair. "I've missed you." Emma whispered, "I'm so sorry." There was no response from Regina, just the steady up and down movement of her chest and the steady beat of her heart.

Emma felt safe, finally safe in the arms of her love. It had been too long since she had felt the warmth of another human lying beside her. "I love you, Regina." The blonde lifted her head to look into Regina's eyes. What she saw instead was death.

Regina's face was rotting away. There was a chunk of her cheek missing. Her eyes were glossed over and nearly all white. Her skin was pale, almost green. A groan escaped the undead Regina's throat as she grabbed a fistful of Emma's blonde hair. Emma screamed and jumped back into reality.

Simon barked at her as she yelled, which awoke Fox, who jumped up with her gun already in hand. The shepherd let out a soft whine, looking from Fox to Emma. He took a few steps forward and sat next to the blonde, staring down at her as she lay on a sleeping bag on the hard forest floor.

Fox released a heavy sigh and collapsed back onto the moose skin she had folded into a somewhat soft bed. Once her breath had returned to its normal adrenaline-less pace, she turn to face Emma, "You okay?"

"Fine." Emma growled. She rolled onto her side so that her back was to Simon and Fox.

"Next time you're fine, please don't wake up screaming. I was having quite a lovely dream involving Katee Sackhoff." Fox said, "You want to talk about it?"

"No."

"Okay." Fox rolled over and fell back into her dream as Emma stared into the dark forest unable to find sleep. Simon curled up between them, watching Emma carefully.

The sun was just beginning to rise as Fox woke up. They cooked a quick breakfast of meat and eggs from a bird's nest they had found the night before. Fox made tea for them out of a flower and some herbs she had collected before they had left Storybrooke. They didn't speak as they packed up their things and got the horses and mule ready for the day's ride.

The two women had left Storybrooke three days earlier and were hoping to get to the city of Gardiner by the end of the day. After that, Portland was a day and a half ride away. Fox could tell that Emma was become more and more anxious.

"You're a wolf." Fox said as they rode.

"A wolf?"

"Yeah, you've gotten separated from your pack and now you're looking to find them again."

Emma tilted her head slightly, thinking the idea through, "Okay, if I'm a wolf, then what are you?"

"A fox, of course. Kind of obvious."

They both laughed, "So, I'm a wolf and you're a fox. Aren't wolves violent?"

"So are fox."

"But wolves are much higher on the food chain than foxes are."

Fox thought this through, "Perhaps, but you are still a wolf."

Emma smiled, "Alright, Fox. I guess I'm a wolf."

* * *

Regina sat on the hood of the Honda. Eight-o-clock had passed. No one had responded. She found herself watching the growing number of zombies stumbling around the fences of old scrap yard. A few had noticed her and had started reaching through the fencing with grabby hands. She was several yards away, though and not even remotely close enough for them to get a hold of her. It still made her uneasy.

She watched them, human shells that had become nothing more than hungry animals with no intelligence. She couldn't even think of them as animals. Animals would have given up their focus on her after a few minutes and turned to easier prey or they would have figured out a way to get to her. Not the undead. They just stood there, groaning and reaching for that which they could not get to.

A hand touched her shoulder and she nearly fell off the hood of the old car. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." Gail said, "Anything?" She nodded at the radio.

Regina shook her head. "No."

"We're having a group meeting."

Regina didn't move, she sat there staring.

"Regina," Gail lightly touched on the brunette's hand with the tips of her fingers. She looked up at the redhead and nodded.

They walked back to a large garage. The two women weaved around beds and sleeping bags and small tents that had been set up in the main room before they walked into a kitchen with a large table in the middle. Everyone, besides the camp's five children and the two adults who were currently taking care of them, were seated or standing around the table.

Regina and Gail squeezed in and Regina found a chair waiting for her at the head of the table next to the family she had married into, Mary Margret and David, Emma's adoptive parents. They were arguing with Mr. Gold, who had owned the town's antique shop along with half the property on Main Street. He had run against Regina for Mayor twice and had lost both times. Regina took her seat and Gail leaned with her hands on the top of the chair, nearly hovering over Regina.

Within an instant of seating herself at the table, the frail, heartbroken woman that had been staring at the zombies not minutes earlier became shielded by the cold hearted steel woman who had run the small coastal town of Storybrooke. It was a change that always mesmerized Gail.

"We are no longer safe here." Gold started, "Every day more and more of the undead are piling up along the fences. It is only a matter of time before they break them down."

"That is why we have teams of people to go out and kill them." Regina said in a low growl. "Those fences have held for the ten months we've been here, why shouldn't they continue to?"

"I've seen what those things can do, particularly in great numbers. We've all seen it. Those zombies could tear through that gate like it was nothing." He paused, "And if they break in, we have no means of escape. We'd be over run and killed."

Regina stared at him as the people around the table began to bicker amongst themselves about what to do.

"We should build an underground bunker," one shouted.

"We could fortify the fenced?" a hesitant woman called out.

While another shouted, "We should just leave."

"Food is becoming scarce." Gold continued, "We have to scavenge farther and farther from camp to find enough for everyone."

"Why do you think my men have started going out to hunt?" Gail said, referring to the dozen or so of police officers that had fought their way out of Canada with her.

"Then why don't _your_ men bring back more food?" Gold teased.

"Why don't you go out there and hunt then?" Gail challenged, "I have never seen you beyond those fences helping to find any food, not in the five months I've been here."

At that, he slunk back into his chair and glared at the redhead. Then, he looked over at Regina, "We all know that the only reason we are still here is because these three," he pointed at Regain, Mary Margret, and David, "are waiting for Emma Swan." The room fell silent. "Do any of you really think she could possibly still be out there? It's been a year. Just accept it. She's dead." He pushed his way to the door and paused before opening it, "I'm leaving tomorrow at dawn. If anyone wants to join me, meet me at the gates." At that, he left.

Everyone else looked around the room at each other for a minute before exiting the room, leaving Mary Margret, David, Regina, and Gail at the table.

"He has a point, though." Mary Margret said, glancing over at David.

"What?" Regina growled.

"It's been a year. She's been gone a year. Don't you think…if she was," David grabbed Mary Margret's hand as she continued, "…alive…wouldn't she had found us by now?"

Regina stared at them for a long moment before they stood and made their way to the door.

David paused and looked back at the two women, "Think of what's best for Henry."

The door shut and Regina's shield fell as she broke down into sobs. Gail wrapped her arms around the brunette and rested her head against the other woman's. She held her for several minutes as Regina cried into her shoulder. "If you decided to stay, I will too." Gail whispered into her ear.

Regina put her arms around the redhead's waist and continued to cry. She didn't know what else to do.


	5. Chapter 5 - Scavenge

"Gold." Regina said, coming up behind the man with arms crossed, "Where are you planning to go?"

"Wouldn't you like to know, dearie." He grinned to himself as he continued to pack his things into a large bag.

"It's not some big secret. Where are you planning to go?"

"Why so you can join us when your beloved comes back?"

"Perhaps."

"Hm…fine. South Pennsylvania if we are able to reach it before winter." He pause his packing for a moment and looked up at her, "We have always been less than kind with each other, but please, forget about Emma. Henry is a good kid. It would be a shame for him to lose both his mothers."

* * *

She walked back to the tent where her and Henry slept. He was sitting outside taking apart and cleaning one of Emma's guns. He did it every day since Gail had taught him how to use it. Regina had protested, but Gail said that, being the oldest of the group of kids, if anything were to happen, he needed to be able to protect them. She had no further grounds to argue. Emma had already taught him to shoot a shotgun year before hell had taken over the world. She still hadn't gotten used to the fact that her fifteen year old son knew how to handle a gun better than she did.

"He's getting good at that." Gail said from behind her, making Regina jump.

"Enough with that." She growled before smiling at the redhead.

"So, I've talked to the guys. They'd rather stay than follow Gold."

Regina nodded.

"But, from what they're telling me. At least half of your 'townsfolk' are leaving with him."

"We should look for a more suitable residence. This place is too big for ten cops and the few people who will stay." Regina let out a soft sigh, "Gold said they are headed to Pennsylvania."

Gail narrowed her eyes, "Why?"

"It's farther south than Maine."

"That doesn't mean the winters won't be cold. Fox's parents lived in Gettysburg and it got pretty damn cold there. Nothing compared to Canada, but still, cold."

Regina shrugged.

"How's aboot we scout out a new place to call home?"

Regina laughed. Gail had picked up a lot of the typical American accent long before she had found her way into their group, but she always pronounced about in the typical Canadian fashion. It brought a smile to Regina's face every time and Gail knew it. "We should get some food while we're out."

"Of course, don't want to make it too obvious we're scooping out new digs."

Regina rolled her eyes, "Henry." She called. He looked over at her, listening intently, "We're going out to look for some food. I'll be back later."

"Okay, be safe." He called with a wave, before turning his attention back to the gun.

Regina followed the redhead to her tent and stood outside waiting as she dug around for her weapons. Gail handed a gun and an ax to her before coming out with a sword and a shotgun. "Ready to kick ass and take names?"

* * *

"What were you saying about kicking ass?" Regina grumbled as they wondered the streets. "We've found a total of five cans of beans and we've only ran into one zombie."

"Hey, I found that can of apples!" Gail grinned.

"It's pie filling."

"But it still has apples in it."

"True." Regina said as they turned down another street and walked towards a large apartment building. "What about this one?" She asked as they stepped through the door that had once been glass.

"Knock out the stairs," Gail looked around the lobby, "As long as that isn't the only way upstairs, we could probably fortify this place. It'll be a bitch to clear out all the floors though."

They walked up the thin stair case, up to the first floor and started rummaging through the rooms for any supplies. The apartment they went into still had its two residents, an elderly man and woman. Both of them had rather large holes in the back of their heads from a large hand gun that was still in the man's hands. They were both reduced to skeletons with very little flesh still on them. What flesh was still remaining, had been cooked onto them from the summer heat.

The two women both pulled bandanas over their mouths and noses. Gail took the gun from the man and looked over the weapon. She took out the remaining bullets and put them in her pocket before sliding the gun in the back of her pants. Before she joined Regina in ransacking the kitchen, she tossed blankets over both bodies.

The kitchen was small, but had deep shelves and there were plenty of cans of food and other non-perishable foods.

"Jackpot!" Gail clapped her hands and started packing the food into their backpacks. The sound was not loud, but the lack of sound in the apartment and the thin walls is what made it seem loud and allowed it to travel to the other apartments. Shortly after there was a loud thud from down the hall that made both women freeze.

"What was-"

Gail pressed a finger to her lips. She stood and walked to the kitchen door. Her hand flattened as she signaled for Regina to stay put. There was another thud. She walked to the hall and looked down it for any signs of a threat. Another thud and she pulled her sword. With a fourth thud she pinpointed where the sound was coming from. It was something hitting the door from across the hall.

"What is it?" Regina's voice made Gail jump.

"I told you to stay put." She hissed.

Regina narrowed her eyes at the redhead as Gail shook her head. Gail flattened herself to the floor and peered under the door at whatever was ramming itself into the door. All she could see were bare feet. They were a yellowed color and had flecks of dried blood on them. "It's a zombie." Gail whispered, pushing herself off the floor. "You don't think he'd be able to…open the door, do you?"

"They don't have the mental capacity to speak. Do you really think they can turn a door handle?" As if on cue the thumping stopped and the door handle slowly turned.

"You had to say it." Gail growled, "Get the bags!" They ran into the old couple's apartment, snatched their backpacks and darted out towards the stairs just as the zombie figured out his door was pull instead of push. Both women were skipping steps as they fled the first floor to the ground. They were out of the building by the time the zombie got to the first step.

The two women were laughing as they came to a halt around the block. "Maybe we should stick to single floor residences." Regina suggested as they caught their breath and continued walking down the street.


	6. Chapter 6 - Monsters

"Portland." Emma grinned as they passed a sign that told them they were only a few miles away. She was beaming and Fox couldn't help but smile at her.

The smiles disappeared when a man on horseback jumped onto the road a few yards ahead of them. Both women pulled their horses and mule to a halt. They stood there, staring at him. He didn't move. He just stood there.

Fox tilted her head and narrowed her eyes at him. She looked back and saw two more men on horseback coming up behind them. "Emma." She said.

The blonde turned, "We need to get out of here."

"This way." They both yelled at the same time. Fox sent the mule forward and disappeared into the forest while Emma pushed her buckskin towards the man on horseback. It took her a few moments to realize Fox had not followed her. Emma and the buckskin blasted past him with the draft close behind. His horse reared up and nearly threw him as his associates ran towards him. He was able to regain control and chased after Emma alongside the other two.

The two men and their horses caught up to the draft quickly. They slipped two ropes around her neck and pulled her to a stop. She bucked and reared and fought them to the best of her ability while the other man continued his chase. He caught up to Emma quickly and grabbed ahold of her jacket. Their horses became in sync with each other as they drove forward over the road. Emma tried to pull herself out of his grasp, but he tightened his hold and nearly dragged her off the buckskin. It was all she could do to remain atop her horse.

The two ran like that for several minutes until Fox and the mule leapt over the bushes and back onto the road. The mule was flying like a bat out of hell. Fox kept giving him quick, light whips with the ends of the reins. He just kept going faster and faster. Emma was too busy trying to stay on her buckskin to take notice of them. The man had a solid grip on her arm now and was continuing his attempts to drag her off her horse.

Fox stopped her whips as the mule continued to gain speed. As they began to catch up with the two horses, she pulled out her handgun. Once the man's horse was in line with her mule she gave the mule a quick kick and he jumped into gear. They pulled ahead until Fox was parallel with the man's horse she reached her hand out and put the gun in line with the horse's head.

A loud shot fired and everything slowed. The horse's motor functions stopped. Its front legs crumbled. Emma's attacker immediately let go of her. His first reaction was to pull the horse's head up. If the horse had merely stumbled, it would have helped, but there was no life left in the horse to regain its footing. His brain hadn't processed the gunshot until it was too late to jump ship. Both human and horse hit the ground and rolled, pinning the man under his horse.

Emma and Fox flew ahead of him as time caught up. Fox pulled her mule to a halt and turned him around.

"Thank you." Emma called over her shoulder.

"You're welcome." Fox grinned, "Gotta keep my wolf around." The mule and she started to trot back to the dead horse, when Emma and her buckskin jogged in front of them.

"What are you doing? We need to get out of here. That shoot'll attract zombies."

"I just shot a horse point blank while riding at least twenty miles an hour. I'm collecting my prize." The mule cantered up to the dead horse. She dismounted and walked around to where the man was trying to crawl out from under his horse. Fox grinned. She pulled a knife from her pocket and crouched a few feet in front of him as he struggled. "What'cha doin' down there?" She laughed as Emma rode up a yard from them.

"Please! Help me!" He cried and continued to struggle, "I can't feel my legs."

"Yeah," Fox teased, "that's probably because you've broken your back."

"Please, help me. Don't leave me for the monsters."

Fox laughed at him, "Why would I help you? To be honest, I'd like see how long you last before you pass out or die."

"Fox!" Emma hissed, "Stop it."

The dirty blonde look up at her before her eyes settled on the struggling man. She stood and walked up to him. She grabbed ahold of a fistful of his hair and pulled his head back. "Those things aren't the monsters." She whispered to him, "People like you and me are. People who survive and live. They are the monsters." She grinned to herself, "I'm the monster."

Before he could say anything, she pressed the knife to his throat and sliced it open. Both Emma and the buckskin jumped. He reared up and spun on his hooves when she let out a sharp gasp. Fox stood up, covered in blood and walked around to the mule, who hadn't moved a muscle and grabbed a rope and a small tarp that had been rolled up over her moose pelt. "Would you mind giving me a hand?"

Emma stared at her. Her jaw was open and her eyes wide.

"Do you want fresh meat or not?"

Emma continued to stare before murmuring, "We aren't eating him."

"I'm talking about the horse." She tied two ropes around the horse's four legs before laying out the tarp. "If you could tie this to Bucky and I'll tie my end to Wade."

Emma stared at her for another moment before nodding and taking her end of the rope. They rolled the horse over onto the tarp with the rope and Wade and Bucky. Fox untied the legs and tied the rope ends to the edges of the tarp.

"You said before that I was a wolf." Emma started as Fox climbed onto the back of Wade, "You were right. I'm the wolf. You're the fox."

"I thought we'd already figured this out?" Fox said with a grin.

"Yeah. Fox survive. They're smart and calculative and self-reliant."

Right." Fox smiled, "Wolves survive through others. They are reliant on each other to survive." She stared into Emma's green eyes.

The two women stared at each other for a long moment before Fox smiled, "Let's make camp. I'll have this horse skinned an' tanned in no time. Then you don't have to use that sleeping bag anymore."

"What sleeping bag? The other guys have all of our stuff. What are we going to do about our supplies?"

Fox shrugged, "Can't win every battle. We'll just have to find new ones."

They trotted off into the woods, dragging a dead horse behind them.


	7. Chapter 7 - Blood and Horse Hair

"You know, maybe Gold has a point." Gail said as they walked through the streets.

"What?" Regina gaped at Gail's words.

"The city is filled with zombies and food is getting scarce." Gail paused for a short moment, "I'm not suggesting we totally leave the area. We could easily thrive outside the city and still be kinda close to the city." She watched as Regina processed what she had said.

"You're…right." Regina nodded and gave her a soft smile.

"Why don't we go looking for a place tomorrow after everyone leaves?"

"Sounds like a-"

Gail put her hand over Regina's mouth and dragged her into the nearest alley.

"What are you-"

"Shh!" the redhead hissed.

"But…"

"Regina, hush." She growled, looking around the corner.

The sound of hoof beats hitting the blacktop made them both shudder. Both women flattened themselves against the wall. Gail put a protective arm across Regina as they stared at what little of the street they could see. Two men on horseback rode by with another horse in tow.

"Greedy bastard." The one said.

"Come on, man, don't talk ill of the dead."

"I will talk ill of the dead. He was a greedy bastard."

"Dave, knock it off."

"He should have left that woman alone."

"Dude, I swear to god! Knock! It! Off!"

"It's not like those two women were carrying anything of value to us. They had it all on the one horse."

The two women listened as the horsemen argued and rode off around the block. Gail looked around the far wall to make sure they were gone. Both women breathed a relieved sigh and remained silent until Regina murmured, "We should go home."

"No. Those are two of the guy from the camp on the other side of the city."

Regina stared at her for a long moment.

"The ones that stole from our camp a few months back."

"All the more reason we should go home and leave them be."

Gail shook her head, "That horse isn't theirs."

"They stole it, but that's no reason for us to steal from them"

"Did you see all the furs, pots and pans, and that sleeping bag? That's a pack horse. Who knows what else is in those bags." She started walking down the alley as Regina followed with hesitation.

"Why don't we go back and get…backup?"

"By the time we do that they'll be back at their camp. We can get them, quick and easy, right now." Gail started climbing up a ladder to a fire escape that went to the roof of the nearest building. "Come on."

Regina hesitated.

"All you need to do is shoot a gun and spook the horses."

Regina huffed, "Alright."

They climbed to the roof and found the two horsemen had stopped and dismounted near a puddle. Their horses and the horse Gail was looking to steal were drinking while the two men argued over something.

"Come on." Gail said with a huge grin. They darted down to the ground and snuck around the alley to the street where the two men were. They watched as their arguing began to escalate into shoving. It only took three shoves before they were on the ground wrestling like children.

"Okay, you stay here. When I wave my hand you fire a shot down the street. Make sure not to hit them or me."

"That's going to attracted zombies."

"Then be ready to run." A Cheshire cat grin covered the redhead's face.

Regina shook her head.

"Just think, we'll have a horse to go out looking for a new camp."

She rolled her eyes as Gail ran across the street and slunk down the street towards the horses. The two horses that belonged to the men weren't fazed by the fight, while the other horse was shifting about and pulling against her lead.

Gail crouched down behind a garbage can that smelled of rotten baby diapers and decaying flesh. She eyed the two men as they rolled around on the ground. She pulled her gun and watched them for a moment longer.

With a quick glance back at Regina, she waved her hand. Regina stood and fired down the street at an empty garbage can. Both men froze, tangled in each other's arms and legs. The can flew up into the air and landed with a crash a few yards away from the horses. This was enough to set off all the horses. They reared up and flew down the street. The horse with the pack horse tied to its saddle ran towards Gail while the other horse nearly ran over the two men.

Gail waved a long stick in the air. The two horses, seeing a whip instead of stick came to an unhappy halt. The pack horse stopped immediately, while the other horse pranced around and reared. Regina came out from behind the corner walking towards the man's horse with her hands up. She grabbed the horse's rains and cooed gentle words at him. He settled just as a horde of zombies came out from the block behind the men.

"Fuck!" Gail jumped onto the pack horse's back, "Hurry up!"

Regina mounted the horse as the men came running up behind them. Gail swung her sword in the men's general direction. One stopped his advances. He looked at her then back at the zombies and turned tail for an alley. The other ran at Regina. She didn't see him in time to pull her ax from its sheath on her back. He threw a long knife. Regina let out a gasp as it imbedded itself in her side. The horse reared up and ran forward. Gail and the pack horse ran after them, leaving the man and the zombies far behind.

* * *

"WHALE!" Gail shrieked as they came to the main building. Regina was doubled over with her hand clutching her right side. Gail dismounted and led Regina's horse alongside a car. She climbed onto the hood and lifted Regina off the horse. Doctor Whale came running up to them with Mary Margret in tow.

"What happened?" Whale was quick to help Gail as she lay Regina down on the hood of the car.

"We ambushed some of those riders." Gail said her arm protectively around Regina, "They didn't take it too well."

Regina smirked through the pain, "Didn't take it too well?" she growled with a wince.

David came running up to them and hovered just behind Mary Margret. Whale looked over Regina's wound, gently touching the knife which made the brunette yelp. "We need to get her inside. She could bleed out. David, can you carry her?"

"Yeah." He pushed past them and gently lifted Regina off the hood. As they carried her inside Henry came running towards them. Gail barely managed to catch him as they slipped inside.

"Mom!" He yelled as the door shut behind the doctor and David.

"Shh, she's in good hands. She'll be okay."

"But…"

Gail turned the boy around so he faced her, "She'll be okay."

He looked into her eyes and could see the worry. "Okay." He nodded before wrapping Gail in a tight hug. "She's all I have left."

A tear fell over Gail's cheek.


	8. Chapter 8 - Keep Hope

Emma sat against a tree watching Fox as she scrapped the flesh and fat from the horse's pelt. They hadn't said a word to each other since the attack. Emma had spent the entire time staring at her. Simon, who had ran into the woods after a bird a mile before the riders had attacked, had reunited with them shortly after they had fled with the dead horse. He was now curled up beside Fox, watching her every move.

With a quiet sigh, Emma broke the silence, "So, you okay?"

"Am I okay?" Fox pause for a second, narrowing her eyes at Emma with a playful smile. "We were nearly pulled off your horse. I should be asking you that."

"You killed a man."

"I've killed many men and women. I've killed quite a few people in general. We're in the middle of a zombie apocalypse, that's to be expected."

"He wasn't a zombie. He was a human."

"They were all human once. It's kill or be killed."

Emma studied the blonde for a moment, "That doesn't make it any easier."

"Emma, not counting zombies, I've killed a total of eleven people. All of which were a threat to me or Simon or someone I was traveling with." Fox growled, "He was nothing more than another threat. A threat that needed to be eliminated. End of story."

"And that's it? It's that easy for you? He was a threat?"

"Yes, it's that easy." She watched Emma nod before focusing her attention back onto the horse's pelt. "So, we've made it to Portland, what now?"

"Nothing." Emma growled before running a hand through her hair, "Regina left a radio for me. It was in Mary's pack."

"Ah, along with most of our other supplies."

"Yeah, and my badge and I.D." Emma continued.

Fox laughed, "I don't think you'll be needing either of those with the whole zombie apocalypse…thing."

"I like my badge."

The blonde smiled, "What about all my pelts?"

"I think you'll live."

"Hey, I spent months collecting those pelts. At least I've still got the moose."

"Yeah, how the hell did you carry all those down from Canada? That mule is from Storybrooke."

"Well, I carried some of them. The rest I got while I was in Storybrooke."

"I thought you had only been there a few days?"

"Two months."

"Two months? You lived in my house for two months?"

"Hey, it's a nice place and there weren't many zombies in the area."

Emma laughed, "Yeah, can't blame you. It is nice." The two women laughed at each other. "So how are you going to tan that thing?"

"Well, I figured we'd find a house before it got dark and settled there for the night and tan it there with whatever happens to be there."

"What if they don't have the supplies you need?"

"Then I'll brain tan it."

"Brain? Tan it?"

"Yeah, with the brains from its skull."

"That's just gross."

Fox laughed at her, "Gross? It's going to be your new bed. So, no complaining."

Emma rolled her eyes and look over at the remains of the horse hanging from a rather high branch. "What are we going to do with that?" She nodded at the carcass and wrinkled her nose.

"I figured we could get what we could for dinner and leave it for the zombies and other predators." Fox said, looking over the pelt for any stray flesh she might have missed. "Well, how about you start cooking dinner and I'll go find us a place to crash for the night?"

"Deal."

"Simon, stay with Emma." Fox said as she stood up and walked over towards her mule, who was tied to a tree.

"You ever going to name him?"

"I don't know. I was thinking Fleet-Foot. He's pretty damn fast."

Emma laughed, "Right."

"Well, we shall be back!" She declared with a grin.

"At least you won't be burning the meat."

"It wasn't burnt! It was well done!" Fox called over her shoulder as she rode off into the woods.

"Well done my ass." Emma grumbled.

Gail sat at the edge of Regina's bed. She had a hand on Regina's hands, gently messaging one of them with her thumb. Regina had gotten through the removal of the knife, but she had lost quite a lot of blood. It had been a few hours since Whale had stitched her up and she hadn't regained consciousness. Gold had decided to wait to leave until she had woken up. She was pretty sure he had decided to wait because everyone wanted to know if Regina would pull through or not.

"Is she awake yet?" Henry peered through the doorway at the two of them.

Gail looked from Regina to Henry before shaking her head, "No."

"Oh." He pulled up a chair to her bedside and sat down.

"I'm sorry." Gail said after a silent moment, "I put her in danger. This is my fault."

"It's not your fault." Henry gave her a subtle smile, "If it's anyone's fault, it's those assholes' fault."

"I don't think your mom would appreciate hearing you swear."

Henry gave her a smirk, "Probably not."

They sat in silence for a while. Both of them were staring at Regina, praying for her to wake up. Gail shook her head, "It's cold in here. I'm going to grab a fur off that' horse's pack." She stood and put a hand on Henry's shoulder. "You want me to grab one for you?"

"Nah, I'm good. Thank you."

She nodded and walked out of the small room that had been converted into an infirmary. Her feet carried her out into the sunlight and back to the back of the building were a make shift pasture had been built to house the horses. The two new horses had been added to their herd with no problem. Their saddles and packs had been laid out on the fence and on the ground just outside the gate. She settled crossed legged on the ground and started sifting through the pelts.

There were a few small foxes, a small deer, a few coyote, and a large wolf skin. The wolf was on the bottom. She tossed it onto the fence where she had thrown the others. There were several different bags that had been tied to a few ropes and a small blanket that kept the horse somewhat comfortable. The pots and pans were at the front of the pack with all the bags tired behind them. She went through the bags quickly, not really paying much attention to contents until she came to a small wallet.

Curiosity got the better of her as she flipped through it for cash. There wasn't any, but as she flipped it closed she noticed a nylon strip keeping another flap closed. She pulled it open to reveal a silver police badge and an I.D. with the name _Emma Swan _printed in black lettering. She also saw a walkie talkie with a post-it note and a map rubber banded to it. The note was in Regina's handwriting.

"Oh my God…." She gasped before she scrambled off the ground and darted, wolf pelt, wallet, and assorted other things in hand, back into the building. She ran into the room and skidded to a stop a few feet from where Henry was sitting. "I found something." She had a huge grin on her face.

"What?"

"This was in the horse's pack." She tossed the wallet at him.

He looked at it and tilted his head at her. "What is this?"

"Open it." She said, watching him as he flipped open the section where the badge was. The boy's eyes widened and his jaw dropped.

"My mom!" Henry grinned, "But how?"

"It was in that horse's pack. That was your mom's horse. I found this too." She dropped the walkie talkie and map on his lap before tossing the wolf pelt over Regina.

"But that means, she's here in Portland somewhere." Henry looked down at his mother's badge and ran his fingers over her photo on the I.D. "But those men attacked her and got that horse. She could be hurt or dead."

"I know. I'm going to go out and try to find her. You keep your mother safe. I'll be back as soon as I find her."

"But what if…?"

"Henry, don't think like that. We don't know if she's dead or alive. I'm going to try my best to find her."

He nodded.

"Take care of her for me." She put her hand on his shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze.


End file.
